Government Plans To Relocate Ikoyi Prison From Urban Area, Says Interior Minister

• Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced plans to relocate Ikoyi prison and other correctional centers from urban areas.

• Urbanization has encroached on spaces around these facilities, prompting the need for relocation.

• President Tinubu inherited 256 correctional centers, making a complete overhaul within a year unrealistic.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced on Thursday that the government will consider relocating Ikoyi prison and other correctional centers from urban areas to more suitable locations.

This plan was disclosed during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program.

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Tunji-Ojo noted that urbanization has significantly encroached on the spaces surrounding these correctional facilities. He stated, “Under this administration, we’ve not had any jail attacks; the only incident was a force majeure in Suleja, where the correctional center was built in 1914 and is now 110 years old.”

He emphasized that President Tinubu inherited 256 correctional centers needing attention and that it is unrealistic to expect a complete overhaul within one year.

“I must talk about urbanisation. Look at Suleja for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only 7 metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says which is a buffer space of 100 metres. So, urbanisation has eaten deep.

“Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with (another house). What’s (a) correctional centre doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centres.”

He said the government would soon commence an “inmate audit” across the country’s 256 correctional centres and sanitise them by freeing those who don’t have any business being there in the first place.

Tunji-Ojo said President Bola Tinubu inherited so many old correctional centres that need attention but the government has started the renovation and rebuilding of some of the prisons in Nigeria.

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“We’ve renovated over 10 correctional centres under this administration,” he said, adding that the government has done “magic in the Kuje correctional centre.”

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